GRE 6 E NGLISH L NGUGE RTS/REING R ELESE F ORM The Totem Pole hallenge by The TaleWagger One day last summer, a grandfather was sitting on a pier with his grandson fishing. It was a warm, sunny day and several people were out and about, enjoying the fine weather, the scenery and relaxing. On a seat, near to the grandson, a young woman was reading a book and when she had finished she wandered away, leaving the book on the seat. fter a while, the grandson, bored with not being able to catch a fish, strolled across to the seat and picked up the book. He quickly flicked through the pages, decided that it was of no interest to him, and proceeded to tear out the pages, one by one. When he had sufficient, he went to the water s edge. There he proceeded to screw them into balls and throw them into the water. Mike! his grandfather shouted out. What do you think you re doing? Nothin Grandpa, came the reply, just playing with an old book someone left behind. on t be destructive, scolded his grandfather, someone will have to clear up your mess. More importantly though, you should realize that some author must have taken a lot of trouble to write that book. ut it was only an old book Grandpa, replied Mike, and anyway, anyone can write a book. It s easy! The old man sighed, gave an old-fashioned look, and asked. Have you heard the story of the Totem Pole hallenge? Mike shook his head. RELESE In that case, you d better sit down and listen carefully. With the fishing forgotten for a while, Mike sat cross-legged on the ground and his grandfather began his tale. Many years ago, a small tribe lived deep in the wilderness of North merica. One day the hief met with his three sons and spoke. 24
GRE 6 E NGLISH L NGUGE RTS/REING R ELESE F ORM I have decided that we should leave the story of our lives for others to see. When the snow melts, I will trade half of our pelts with the woodcarvers, for a totem pole. t first his sons could not believe what they had heard and looked at each other in amazement. ut father, they cried out as one, if you do that, we will not have enough pelts to trade for food and we will surely die! We have tomahawks and there are many trees. We can make as many totem poles as you want! 16 The hief was not convinced but paused for a moment to consider. However, his sons were adamant. nybody can make a totem pole, it s easy! they chanted. nybody can make a totem pole, it s easy! Finally the hief gave in and agreed that, come the springtime, they could each make a totem pole. The elders of the tribe would then select the best one and it would stand in the middle of their village and the history of the tribe would be carved upon it. The first son spent the winter sheltering from the cold, stayed close to the settlement, and carried on doing the things that he had always done in the winter. The second son spent most of his spare time making his tomahawk into the finest and sharpest one in the village, and thinking about where the most suitable tree might be growing. RELESE The third son traveled afar, through the deep snow of the inhospitable countryside, to seek out the wigwams of the totem pole makers. He spent the winter learning how they selected the trees, the tools they used and the history of totem pole making. Finally, on the way back to his village he visited the finest totem poles in the area. When the first day of spring arrived, the three sons set about the task of carving their totem poles. y the end of the first week the third son had finished and everyone in the tribe agreed that he had carved a magnificent totem pole, fit to stand in the middle of any village. t the end of the first month, the second son had finished and the villagers agreed that he had done a neat job, but it looked more like a canoe than a totem pole! 25
GRE 6 E NGLISH L NGUGE RTS/REING R ELESE F ORM 25 y the end of spring, the first son had finished and the villagers were unanimous that, thanks to his efforts at carving, there would be enough firewood for many years to come! You see Mike, everything done properly is never as easy as it first seems! 132 Which statement summarizes the theme of this selection? Never read books and leave them unattended. Hard work done properly pays off in the end. Rushing through your work may sometimes be necessary. o not discard books, as it takes too long to write them. 233 Which quote from the selection illustrates the central idea of the selection? In that case, you d better sit down and listen carefully. I have decided that we should leave the story of our lives for others to see. nybody can make a totem pole, it s easy! they chanted. RELESE You see Mike, everything done properly is never as easy as it first seems! 26
GRE 6 E NGLISH L NGUGE RTS/REING R ELESE F ORM 34 In the selection, why did the hief believe that the village should have a totem pole? The totem pole would be a record of the village history. The neighboring villages each had totem poles. The totem pole would make his sons famous. His sons needed to learn to find good totem pole wood. 435 ased on the sentence below from paragraph 16, what does the word adamant tell the reader about how the sons felt? However, his sons were adamant. The sons were confused at the dilemma. The sons were annoyed at their father. The sons were firm in their opinions. The sons were delighted at the challenge. 536 In the selection, what was the grandfather trying to teach his grandson by telling the fable? RELESE No one should ever destroy another person s property. Writing a book is much more difficult than creating a totem pole. People gain more appreciation for the value of something when they have tried to create it. ooks and totem poles are valuable and should be preserved and shared for historical purposes. 27
GRE 6 E NGLISH L NGUGE RTS/REING R ELESE F ORM 637 In the sentence below, what does the word inhospitable mean? The third son traveled afar, through the deep snow of the inhospitable countryside, to seek out the wigwams of the totem pole makers. unfriendly unimpressive unimportant unhealthy 38 7 What purpose is served by paragraph 25? It describes how the third son was thanked by the village for creating a totem pole. It explains that the first son was the last son to complete a village totem pole. It describes how the first son brought firewood to the village instead of creating a totem pole. It explains that the first son s totem pole was a reflection of his preparation during the winter. 839 ased on the selection, what does the merican Indian culture value? RELESE the talent and commitment needed to create something lasting the ability to prepare for and complete a task quickly helping the community overcome challenges caused by nature helping senior citizens feel like they are a part of the community 28